KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — Disputing criticisms against Malaysia’s alleged lack of expertise and coordination in the handling of the MH370 crisis, a minister here claimed that the episode has instead helped boost foreign investors’ confidence in the country.

International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) deputy minister Datuk Hamim Samuri said investors “have no reason” to lose confidence on the safety of the country following findings that the missing plane’s communication systems were disabled manually and was deliberately flown off course.

“Foreign countries are praising Malaysia for the search and rescue operation… it will not affect imports and exports,” he said, adding that Malaysia is viewed as a “conducive” environment.

As such, he said that the case of the missing jet, though unresolved after 10 days, has not impacted Malaysia’s investment climate.

On March 8, the jumbo jet carrying 239 people made a sharp turn from its last communication with air traffic controllers in Kuala Lumpur before it would have to come into contact with Vietnamese controllers and flew westward instead, away from its intended route to Beijing.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced on Saturday that search and rescue efforts in the South China Sea would be called off and pointed to two corridors where the plane could possibly be located based on satellite data: a northern arc from northern Thailand to the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in central Asia, or a southern one from Indonesia to the southern Indian Ocean.

He said the plane was diverted due to “deliberate action” but stopped short of saying it was hijacked.

Najib also dropped another bombshell when he revealed that the final satellite communication with the plane occurred at 8.11am on March 8, indicating it continued flying after its transponder was disabled and the engine performance data link with MAS was severed more than seven hours earlier.

It was also confirmed that military radar definitively tracked MH370 as it changed course and headed west towards the Indian Ocean.

Shortly after the PM’s announcement, police arrived at the Shah Alam, Selangor home of MH370 captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, which they proceeded to search.

Despite its efforts so far, Malaysia has come in repeatedly for criticism over its handling of the MH370 search and investigation, most frequently being labelled slow and disorganised.